The board of Chile’s Companhia Siderurgica Huachipato (CSH) announced the suspension of operations linked to the steel production, while maintaining logistics and port activities.
According to media sources, the move is an extreme measure, adopted by the company to raise the pressure over the government authorities, with the objective of increasing the import tax for steel products originated from China at alleged dumping prices.
The local press mentioned that the workers of the plant have gathered in front of the plant’s main entrance, obstructing the traffic flow in the region, and claiming for “the salvation of the Chilean steel industry.”
According to the Chilean Steel institute (ICHA), CSH accounts for 19 percent of the apparent steel consumption in Chile, serving chiefly the mining and civil construction sectors.
Chile currently imports 67 percent of its steel requirements, which has reached 2.39 million mt in 2023, representing a 4.4 percent increase from 2022. For 2024, the expectations are for a 1.5 percent decline to 2.35 million mt.
CSH is controlled by Grupo CAP, which also operates in mining, steel processing and infrastructure activities.